Nonrefillable bottle and parts thereof



Dec. 26, 1939.

NONREFILLABLE BOTTLE AND PARTS THEREOF Filed June .22, 1935 I 3 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY.

A. PODEL j 2,184 468 Dec. 26, 1939.

PQDEL NONREFILLABLEBOTTLE AND PARTS THEREOF Filed June 22, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. A'ra/zzmz P002! 72 4m ATTORNEY.

Dec. 26, 1939. PQDEL 4 NONREFILLABLE BOTTLE AND PARTS THEREOF Filed June 22, 1935 r 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I I INVENTOR. flfir'a/mm Fade! dun 5 ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 26, 1939 mares PATENT caries NONREFILLABLE BOTTLE AND PARTS THEREOF Abraham P'odel, New York. N. Y., assignor to Anchor Cap & Closure Corporation, Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 22, 1935. Serial No. 27,854

10 Claims.

The present invention relates to containers and more particularly to nonrefillable containers and inserts therefor.

In the sale of intoxicating liquors and various other products, manufacturers advertise their brands and retain the good will of customers by maintaining a high standard of quality for their products. Suchmanufacturers are particularly anxious that their products reach the consumers in good condition with the original contents of the package. Consumers are even more anxious to get the quality which they request and pay for. During the period of prohibition, unscrupulous persons became very proficient in counterfeiting labels and packages, in adulterating liquors and in substituting inferior brands for good brands of. liquors. Manufacturers are still plagued with such practices and particularly with the refilling of bottles. Little ingenuity is required to buy discarded bottles, with or Without labels thereon, from second hand bottle dealers, refill the bottles with inferior products,

, counterfeit the labels if necessary, and sell them as genuine products. Frequently, such persons defraud the government of the taxes due on the liquor, making it objectionable to the bottler, the consumer and the government.

Such practices are so prevalent that every effort has been exerted to prevent them. 7 'erous attempts have been made to pr vide nonrefillable bottles and numerous pa ts have been granted therefor. Such atte'nyt and the structures shown in the patents ave not been successful because the bottles could be easily refilled or because the structures were so expensive that the cost was prohibitive. the many alleged nom' fillable bottles designed reached the market bu%ere unsuccessful for the reasons noted.

The present invention aims to overcome the above objections by p oviding anonrefillable insert which will preve t the refilling of bottles. The invention also aims to simplify such constructions and to reduc their cost so that the price will not prevent thei ale and commercial use.

An object of the present invention, is to provide a practical nonrefillable bottle and an insert therefor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple insert for a bottle which will prevent the refilling thereof.

Another object of the invention is to reduce the cost of a nonrefillable bottle and of the insert therefor.

Another object of the invention is to reduce the number of parts in a nonrefillable bottle and to simplify their construction.

Another object of the invention is to simplify Two or three of (Cl. 215-2Z) the construction and assembly of the parts ofa nonrefillable bottle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ncnrefillable bottle with a valve member adapted to be automatically operated whenever attempts are made to refill the bottle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a valve member adapted to remain in closed position regardless of the position of the bottle except when the bottle is in substantially inverted position and in that case, if an attempt is made to refill the bottle, the valve member is light enough to float into closed position.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur Fig. l is a sectional view of a preferred emf" bodiment of an insert assembled in the neck of a bottle;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view along the line 22 of Fi 1;

Fig. 3 is an ral parts of the insert; 7

Fig. 4 is a .sectional View similar to that shown Fig. 1, with the bottle. tilted to illustrate the o eration of the valve and the ball member of the i ert,-the position of. the neck being such that t e valve member is about to open, as shown in otted lines;

Fig. 5 is a detailed view of the projections on t e valvechamber adapted to attach the cover thereto; and g. 6 is a sectional view of another form of the invention assembled in the neck of a bottle. Referring again to the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment, and more particu: larly to\Figs. 1 to 4 and 6, there are shown the 1 several p a ts of the device which will be first referred to 1 a general Way and later described specifically. T device preferably comprises a bottle l, which may gain ordinary bottle or container for intoxicating uors or other products; and an insert for the be e to prevent refilling thereof. The insert prefera y comprises acasing or valve chamber 2 and cover or hood 4 adapted to be secured together confine therein a valve member 5, a weight 0 ball 6 and a bafile member I. An annular gas t 8 preferably seats on the rim of the container with its upper side engaged by the chamber member 2 and cover member 4. A suitablycand '9, pref-.-

exploded view illustrating the severably a continuous band of metal, is telescoped over the cover member in the upper end of the bottle with its lower edge it rolled into permanent engagement with the neck of the bottle, whereby the insert cannot be removed without visible indicationsthereof.

Referring to the several parts of the invention in more detail, the casing or chamber member 2 is preferably in the form of a substantially cylindrical or tubular member with the lower part II thereof reduced in size and having an aperture 12 in the lower end thereof. A valve seat l4, preferably slightly rounded or substantially conical, is provided on the inner side of the aperture l2. A plurality of fins or guides 15 may extend vertically on the inner wall of the reduced portion H of the casing member to guide the valve member 5 accurately in a vertical direction and to prevent it from shifting from side to side and grooves or channels l3 are provided between the fins to facilitate the flow of liquid. The relation of the valve member 5 and the fins l5 may be observed more particularly in Figs. 1, 2 and 4.

The valve member 5 is preferably hollow and, as here shown, comprises a cylindrical member l6 having an enlarged rounded end if to seat on the valve seat I l. The upper end is covered by a cap l8 which may be sealed on the hollow cylindrical member by a suitable adhesive or merely by a forced fit. It will be noted that the enlarged end of the valve member and the side of the cap form a snug fit with the fins 15 in the casing member. It has been found that this construction, with the reduced intermediate part, affords excellent operating results in that the effect of the surface tension of the liquid is reduced permitting the valve member to move more freely.

In order to seat the valve member securely in position on the valve seat M to prevent liquid seeping through, a ball member 6 is provided which is preferably a heavy metal ball, or any other weighted object which is preferably spherical and resistant to alcohol. Various types of metal may be used, for example, Monel metal, stainless steel, tin coated metals, and the like.

The bafiie member 1, shown more particularly in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, is adapted to be inserted into the upper end of the casing member 2 and to seat an annular shoulder I9 formed on the interior wall of the casing. While the baffle member may be in various forms, the preferred embodiment contemplates a construction with a series of fin members 20 depending downwardly from an upper disc member 2!. The lower ends of the fin members as seat on the shoulders E9 in the casing member and liquid may pass between the fin members and about the disc member 2|. The inner edges 22 of the fin members preferably are bevelled and flared outwardly, as shown at 23, so that they form substantially a conical seat for the ball member 5 when the bottle is inverted. When the bottle is in upright position, the fin members Zll retain the ball on the upper end of the valve so that its full weight is effective in closing the valve. A projection M- is provided at the apex of the conical seat to prevent the ball from seating too snugly and to cooperate with the bevelled edges 22 of the fins to prevent the ball from being unduly affected by the surface tension of the liquid. The projection 2 always maintains the ball off center so that it is free to roll downwardly against the valve as soon as the bottle is tilted'sufiiciently into upright position.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 4 of the drawings, it will be noted that the angle of the conical seat 23 provided by the inner edges of the fins 22 is such that the ball member 8 will roll upwardly to push the valve back on its seat when the neck of the bottle is tilted downwardly at an angle of substantially forty-five degrees or less. The common way of filling alleged nonrefillable bottles is to tilt them at some angle and create a vacuum within the bottle and per-- mit the vacuum to draw the liquid past the valve while the bottle is in inverted position. This is virtually reversing the pouring operation by utilizing the influence of vacuum. The present valve member, being constructed of light material and being hollow, is moved upwardly by the heavy ball when the edges of the fins 22 become tilted very slightly. When the bottle is in inverted position or inverted at an angle greater than forty-five degrees, any tendency for the liquid to run into the bottle creates a pool of liquid about the valve member 5 which floats it into closed position.

In addition, the' fins l5 cause the liquid to flow along the sides I of the valve and impinge against an annular upwardly facing shoulder '25 at the enlarged end of the valve member, which further tends to seat the valve member.

The cover 4 is adapted to fit over the upper end of the casing member to further enclose the parts housed therein and to furnish a pouring outlet. The casing member preferably has an outwardly extending flange 26 with a series of threaded on its exterior to receive a closure cap 35 and a sealing gasket 32 for sealing the container during shipment. It will be understood, of course, that instead of a closure cap a cork may be inserted into the aperture 343 of the neck portion. g

The insert, as thus assembled, may be shipped v as a unit to bottlers for applying it to containers. The casing member 2 telescopes into the neck of a bottle and the flange 26 and the outer periphery of the cover member 4 rests on the gasket 8. Suitable ridges 34 may be provided on the underside of the flange 26 and the cover part 4 adapted to penetrate into the gasket and improve the seal. An annular ring member 9, preferably made of metal with a flange 35 at its upper side, may be dropped over the cover member and the lower edge l0 thereof and bent inwardly under a shoulder 35 on the bottle to lock the parts of the insert in sealed relation on the end of the bottle. Preferably, the ring member 8 is made of relatively stiff metal which is not easily removable after application and, if desired, the ring member may have the packers trade-mark stamped or embossed thereon.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 6 a construction is shown in which the upper end of the insert is substantially flush with the upper The construction of the insert is i work of the bottler.

slight indentations therein adapted to hold the also different in that the casing member and thecover member are joined substantially adjacent to the ball member, whereas in the previous construction the two parts are joined on the rim of the bottle. It will be understood, of course, that in the assembly of the upper and lower housing members, their junction may be at any desired point to facilitate molding and the manufacture thereof. Also, these parts maybe locked together by utilizing projections 31 adapted to be snapped into a groove 38. Likewise too, in the construction shown in Fig. 6, a sealing gasket 39, cylindrical in shape, fits about the cylindrical part of the cover member 4|. If desired, projections 40 may be formed on the inside of the bottle to prevent the insertfrom being pulled out of the bottle. Ordinarily, such projections are not necessary because the parts of the inserts are preferably so constructed that any attempt to pull the insert out will break it. It will be noted that in the present construction the pour-out nozzle of cover 4| is connected by a relatively thin annular portion 42 which will break quite readily if an instrument is inserted into the pour-out nozzle to remove the insert.

It will be understood that the parts described herein may be formed of any desired material suitable forthe purpose. It has been found that certain types of plastics may be used with excellent advantages in the manufacture of the parts. For example, it has been found that a plastic material such as a phenolic condensation product or a plastic molding material having a vinyl resin base is sufiiciently resistant to alcohol and, at the same time, provides an inexpensive construction. This is a property of said mate rials, not heretofore known. One of the features of the present invention is the construction of the casing member, the valve member, the baffle member, the cover member or any one or more of them of these materials, since they have been found to have distinct advantages over other types of material, such as porcelain and the like. The construction of the valve member of the particular shape and with this material, as noted above, produces excellent results. It will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the use of said materials, as it is intended that any other suitable material may be used, if

desired.

In the operation of the device, the glass manu facturer furnishes a bottle, and the cap manufacturer or maker of the insert furnishes the insert complete ready to be inserted into the bottle in assembled relation, which minimizes the Preferably, the band 9 has gasket 8 in position therein so that the entire insert, including the band and insert, is shipped as an assembled unit ready to be dropped over the end of the bottle. The bottler places theinserts in the ends of the bottles and runs the bottles through a sealing machine which exerts a pressure downwardly on the upper part of the band and cover parts to form a seal on the rims of the bottles and on the bottoms of the flange and periphery of the casings and covers, respectively, to form a secure seal. While thus compressed, the lower edge ll] of the band is turned inwardly to hold the parts in sealed relation.

The consumer removes the closure 3| and in verts the bottle to pour the contents therefrom. The ball 6 rolls down into its seat and the liquid pressure on the bottom of the valve member forces it oif its seat so that the liquid can pass thereof.

"along the grooves or channel l3 between the fins |5-and through the fins 20 about the side of the bafiie 2| and out through the pour-out nozzle 29. As soon as the bottle is returned to its uprightposition, the valve member is forced back to its seat 'with a hammer-like blow by the ball 6. It will be noted that substantial space is provided between .ithe bottle and the valveand intermediate the fins I5, as well as about the ballle I, so that liquid can be readily and freely poured from the bottle. Any attempt to fill the bottle requires the valve 5 to'be unseated. This can be done only by inverting the bottle. If the bottle is tipped only to an angle of forty-five degrees with the mouth down- Ward, the ball 6 will retain the valve in closed position. If the bottle is completely inverted or inverted more than forty-five degrees, the lightness of the valve member is such that the liquid will float it into seated position. In addition, the movement of the valve to closed position is aided by the flow of the liquid which impinges against the irregular outside of the valve member as well as the end thereof to force it back into seated position. It has been found that a bottle of this type successfully resists the several known methods of refilling.

It will be seen that the present invention provides an improved nonrefillable bottle which will prevent refilling or tampering with the contents The several parts are so constructed that they may be readily and inexpensively molded as well as readily and inexpensively assembled. The insert may be sold as a separate unit so that the labor required by the bottler in applying the insert to the bottle is reduced to a minimum. In addition, the cost of the construction has been reduced to a minimum by the simplicity of the construction and the ease of the manufacture and assembly of parts. The parts may be made of plastics having a phenol formaldehyde base, or of plastics having. a vinyl resin base,

' both of which can be made to be sufiiciently re- I in without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casing member having an aperture at its lower end, a plurality of fins on the interior of said casing member directly above said aperture, a substantially cylindrical member rounded at one end adapted to close said aperture and be guided into position over the aperture by said fins, a ball member mounted on the upper end of said valve member, and a bafile above said ball member having a plurality of outwardly flared fins forming a conical seat for said ball member when said casing member is inverted.

.2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casing member having an aperture at its lower end, a plurality of fins on the inteend of said valve member, a baflie above said ball member having a plurality of outwardly flared fins forming a conical seat for said ball member when said casing member is inverted, and a cover member adapted to be snapped over the upper end of said casing member to hold the parts therein.

3. A baflle member for a nonrefillable bottle having a plurality of fins, the inner edges of said fins forming substantially a conical seat and a projection at the apex of said conical seat extending downwardly intermediate said fin mem bers.

4. In a nonrefillable bottle device adapted to be shipped as a unit and inserted into the neck of a container, the combination of a valve casing member having an upwardly facing shoulder, valve means in said casing, a cover member having a downwardly facing shoulder, said members having cooperating means for locking said members together as a unit, and a bafiie member having radially extending portions adapted to be supported by said upwardly facing shoulder and held downwardly by said downwardly facing shoulder.

5. In a nonrefillable bottle device adapted to be assembled and shipped as a unit, the combination of a casing having a flange at its upper end, a plurality of circumf-erentially spaced projections on said flange, valve means in said casing, and a cover member having an undercut recess snapped over said projections at the upper end of said casing member to attach said members to hold said valve means therein.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casing member formed of a plastic molding material such as a phenolic condensation product, a cover member likewise formed of similar material, and valve means in said casing member, one of said members having a radially extending preformed recess and the other of said members having at least one radially extending preformed projection adapted to be forced into said recess to attach said members together as a unit.

"I. In a device of the class described, the combination of a glass container, a casing member extending downwardly into the neck of said container having an aperture at its lower end and a flange at its upper end extending partially over the rim of the container and having locking projections on the outer periphery thereof, valve means in said casing member for closing said aperture, a baffle in said casing member above said valve means, a cover member fitting over said casing member and the end of said container having an annular downwardly depending portion provided with inwardly facing attaching means adapted to interlock with projections on the flange of said casing member to secure said casing and cover members together as a unit, a sealing member beneath said flange extending across the rim of said container and means for permanently securing said cover member to said container.

8. A device adapted to be assembled and shipped as a unit and attached to a bottle or the like to render it nonrefillable, comprising a cas ing member adapted to extend into the neck of a bottle and having an outwardly extending flange at its upper end and having an upwardly facing shoulder on the interior of the casing adapted to' seat a baflle, a baffle member mounted on said shoulder, valve means in said casing member beneath said bafile, said casing flange having outwardly facing attaching means at the peripheral edge thereof, a cover member for said casing member and for the bottle, said cover member having an annular depending portion provided with inwardly facing attaching means adapted to cooperate with said attaching means on the flange of said casing member to detachably secure said casing and cover members together as a unit without reformation of the parts thereof, and an annular sealing gasket at the junction of said outwardly extending flange and said annular depending portion with the upper side of the gasket extending over a portion of the underside of the flange and a portion of the underside of the annular depending portion and the underside of the gasket being adapted to engage the rim of the container to seal both the casing and cover thereto.

9. A nonrefillable bottle comprising in combination, a bottle having a mouth and rim at its upper end; a nonrefillable device adapted to be assembled and shipped as a unit apart from the bottle and adapted to be secured to the bottle to prevent refilling, said nonrefillable device comprising a casing member adapted to extend into the mouth of said bottle and having an out wardly extending flange at its upper end ex-- tending over at least a portion of the rim of said bottle, said flange having outwardly facing at-- taching means at the periphery thereof, a cover member for said casing member and for said bottle, said cover member having an annular depending portion provided with inwardly facing attaching means cooperating with the attach-, ing means on the flange of said casing member to detachably secure said casing and cover member together as a unit without reformation of the parts thereof, and an annular sealing gasket on the rim of said bottle extending under the bottom of the flange of said casing member and the bottom of said depending portion of said cover member at the junction of said flange and depending portion to seal said cover and easing members to the bottle at said junction and to prevent detachment of the casing member from the cover member while secured on said bottle; and means for securing said cover member to said bottle to retain said nonrefillable device in position thereon. I

10. In a nonrefillable, bottle device adapted to be shipped as a unit and inserted into the neck of a container, the combination of a valve casing member having a flange at its upper end adapt-ed to extend over at least a portion of the rim of a container and having an upwardly facing seat on the interior thereof adapted to seat a baffle, valve means in said casing member, a cover member having a downwardly facing portion adapted to cooperate with said upwardly facing seat on the casing member to secure a baffle member in position, said cover member being mounted on the upper end of said casing member having an annular downwardly projecting portion for encasing said flange, said flange and said projecting portion having cooperating portions for locking said cover and easing. members together as a unit, and a bafile member having portions engaged by said upwardly facing seat of the easing member and the bafiie engaging surface of said cover member to hold said bafile in position in said device.

ABRAHAM PODEL. 

